Borba Online - Serbia, EIB sign deal worth EUR 250mn

Serbia, EIB sign deal worth EUR 250mn

Monday, 11 May 2009

Djelic BELGRADE -- The government has signed a loan agreement with the European Investment Ban (EIB) worth EUR 250mn, for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The agreement includes the founding and activities of the bank's regional office in Serbia. Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Božidar Đelić signed this agreement with EIB Vice-President Dario Scannapieco.

“The EIB has been active in Serbia for many years, however, with the agreements signed today, cooperation between the Bank of European integration and the Serbian government has taken a huge step forward," an EIB statement quoted Scannapieco as saying after the event.

“Our commitment in this country throughout 2009 and in the years to come will fund investments and thus the development of businesses and local authorities as well as the completion of key infrastructure that will connect Serbia with the rest of Europe."

"EIB’s key contribution will therefore help Serbia to combat the recession and make a swifter recovery, thereby adding greater weight each day to that country’s plans of nurturing closer ties with the European Union,” he added.

At the same time, Finance Minister Diana Dragutinović signed a financial agreement between Serbia, the National Bank of Serbia and the EIB worth EUR 250mn.

On Saturday, Đelić reminded that in the period between 2000 and 2011, Serbia would get about EUR 3bn of aid from the IPA fund of the EU and add that Brussels “is without a doubt, the largest donor to Serbia.”

Participating in a debate on the effects of European integrations in Serbia, Đelić said that about 80 percent of the money for completing the Corridor 10 project is coming from European sources, such as the European Commission, EIB, and EBRD.

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